Counter-Terrorism Department officials in Karachi have confirmed that the key suspect behind last year’s attack on Chinese engineers has been killed in an intelligence-based operation. Two accomplices were also gunned down during the raid in the Manghopir area.
The attack occurred on November 5 last year, when two Chinese engineers were shot and injured by a private security guard at a textile mill in Karachi’s SITE area. At the time, it appeared to be a targeted incident.
Police registered a case against the guard, who fled the scene, and arrested several members of the security team for questioning. The guard’s residence was traced as part of the investigation.
Azad Khan, Additional IG of the CTD, identified the mastermind as Zafran, a member of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The CTD, working with intelligence agencies, conducted a targeted operation at a house in Manghopir.
Pakistan has seen a spike in terrorist violence, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the TTP ended its ceasefire in November 2022. While law enforcement and military personnel remain frequent targets, attacks on Chinese citizens have also increased.
A National Counter Terrorism Authority report published in 2024 noted that 20 Chinese nationals have been killed and 34 injured in Pakistan since 2021. High-profile attacks have included a suicide bombing outside Karachi University’s Confucius Institute in 2022 and an ambush in KP’s Besham in 2024 that killed five Chinese workers.
Beijing has voiced increasing concern over the security of its citizens, particularly those working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. Last year, the Chinese ambassador called the violence “unacceptable” and urged stronger action from Islamabad.
